About This Gluten-Free Turkey Bolognese
It's crazy how easy tomato sauce is to make from scratch - especially gluten-free turkey bolognese. With simple ingredients, a few vegetables, and tomatoes, of course, you have a delicious sauce. This sauce will simmer on your stove for a while - making your mouth water and having you dreaming of gluten-free pasta!
Why Ground Turkey?
Substituting ground turkey for ground beef in this recipe isn't even noticeable. With all of the flavors of wine, olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic, you can't even tell it's turkey. And if you are trying to reduce your consumption of red meat, ground turkey or ground chicken is a great alternative. You can use ground beef, or a meatloaf mix, if you prefer.
We frequently make tacos with ground turkey instead of ground beef. And once you add my homemade taco seasoning, you can't even tell the difference!
Ingredients You Will Need
-carrot, celery, and onion, chopped
-salt & pepper, to taste
-4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 lb ground turkey
-tomato paste & crushed tomatoes
-dried oregano & dried basil
-your favorite red wine
-extra virgin olive oil
-heavy cream or coconut oil, if desired (for thickening)
-gluten-free spaghetti & grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
How To Make Gluten-Free Bolognese
You start by making the soffrito - the bas of many Italian dishes by sautéing the chopped carrots, celery, and onion in olive oil. Next you'll add the garlic and the turkey, until it browns. Finally, you'll add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, along with the herbs & seasonings, and let it cook for a bit before adding the main ingredients - red wine, and olive oil. The longer the sauce simmers, the richer the sauce becomes. At the end, if you like, you can mix in heavy cream or coconut milk for a creamier consistency.
This gluten-free turkey bolognese is inspired by the tomato sauces we've tasted in Italy. As soon as the wine is added to a tomato sauce like this gluten-free bolognese, there's a big difference in taste and depth. It reminds me of my first trip to Italy with my dear friend Cheryl, which was pure magic.
What To Serve With Gluten-Free Turkey Bolognese
Of course, it goes perfectly over spaghetti or pasta. I'd recommend my favorite gluten-free pasta, like Jovial or Barilla. In this post I walk you through the top dried pastas on the shelf today and where to find them.
And with a side of gluten-free garlic bread, or even a small green salad, you'll have the makings of a scrumptious gluten-free dinner.
Looking for more gluten-free pasta dishes?
You can't go wrong with spaghetti and meatballs. It's a classic!
Have another vegetarian pasta dish with penne alla vodka.
Do you have a ton of cherry tomatoes to use up? Try it in this burst cherry tomato spaghetti.
Love pesto but don't have any basil? Try this spinach version, which goes perfectly over penne or rotini!
Try gluten-free pad thai, with rice noodles and flavors right from Thailand.
Check out over 100+ gluten-free recipes on the blog right here.
Gluten-Free Turkey Bolognese Recipe
Gluten-Free Turkey Bolognese
A delicious and rich bolognese sauce made with ground turkey, and not beef!
Ingredients
- 1 carrot, chopped small
- 1 celery, chopped small
- ½ onion, chopped small
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 ½ cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup (or more) of dry red wine
- 2 tablespoon + ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- 12 oz gluten-free spaghetti & grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
In a large frying pan with high sides, melt the 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrot, celery, and onion, and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to stir frequently.
When the vegetables are fork-tender, add the garlic, but be careful not to burn. As soon as you can smell the garlic, add the ground turkey to the pan and brown completely. Ground turkey typically is very lean and with little fat, so you shouldn't have really anything to drain. If you do, feel free to drain some of the fat.
Into the pan, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, and dried basil, and stir to combine. Then add the remaining olive oil and wine. Stir for 1-2 minutes, and bring the sauce to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes - 1 hour. The longer you let the sauce simmer, the better it will taste!
After the sauce has simmered for your preferred amount of time, stir in ¼ cup of cream if using. Continue to simmer 10 minutes more uncovered. Be sure to check for seasoning and add more salt & pepper if desired.
Serve turkey bolognese over hot spaghetti and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Have you ever had bolognese sauce?
Do you notice a difference between ground beef and ground turkey?
Let me know in the comments below!
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